If You Believe

by Kristin Hannah

Mariah Throckmorton was hiding from a past filled with scandal. Mad Dog Stone was a drifter looking for a few days' work. He walked into her life, threatening Mariah's peace of mind and stirring emotions she tried to hide. Their love was born against all odds, difficult to count on, impossible to hold. Together they would learn the bittersweet truth--that love exists only if you believe. . . .

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Chick Lit, Historical Romance, Historical, Ebooks

384 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 4, 1993

About the author

Kristin Hannah is the award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels including the international blockbuster, The Nightingale, which was named Goodreads Best Historical fiction novel for 2015 and won the coveted People's Choice award for best fiction in the same year. It was named a Best Book of the Year by Amazon, iTunes, Buzzfeed, the Wall Street Journal, Paste, and The Week. In 2018,

The Great Alone became an instant New York Times #1 bestseller and was named the Best Historical Novel of the Year by Goodreads.

The Four Winds was published in February of 2021 and immediately hit #1 on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Indie bookstore's bestseller lists. Additionally, it was selected as a book club pick by the both Today Show and The Book Of the Month club, which named it the best book of 2021.

Firefly Lane, her beloved novel about two best friends, was the #1 Netflix series around the world, in the week it came out. The popular tv show stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke and Season Two is currently set to conclude the series on April 27, 2023.

Her new novel, The Women, about a young woman coming of age during the turbulent 1960's in America, who joins the Army Nurse Corps and serves in Vietnam will be published February 6th, 2024.

A former attorney, Kristin lives in the Pacific Northwest.

Reviews

[Beccalarge · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a good thing this wasn't the first Kristin Hannah novel I read, because it would have for sure been the last. One of her first novels, written when I presume she was trying to be a Harlequin romance novelist. Seriously, it was hard for me to believe this was the same author who wrote "Winter Garden" and "Firefly Lane". Not only did it read like a dime store romance novel...the lonely spinster with a broken heart who vows never to love again and the handsome drifter who refuses to settle in one place or ever be with one woman, that is until he meets her... That's it. You know the rest of the silly, predictable story, that really is not a story at all, just lots of repetitive writing (really, I think the entire book could have been told in 20 pages) with plenty of cliched love scenes thrown in (complete with words like heaving and groaning...oh brother!)

Even the death (and I am starting to think that death might be a common theme in all her books?) scene felt forced and manipulated, just something thrown in to make the reader cry (which I didn't), the heroine even more lonely and desperate and the drifter feel trapped enough to leave...

If you are a Kristin Hannah fan, and you want to stay that way, don't read this book.

[Laurie (barksbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you haven't read Kristen Hannah's IF YOU BELIEVE you are missing out on one of the best character driven, emotionally wrenching stories the genre has to offer.

Mad Dog Stone is a fighter who works odd jobs in between matches. He never stays in one place long enough to form any kind of emotional attachment and has broken many a heart along the way. His life is about to change when he answers an add for free room and board in exchange for a little work at the Throckmorton apple orchard. How hard can picking apples be after all?

The last thing Mariah Throckmorton wants is change in her life, especially in the form of a big, shiftless male. She is living in a self imposed exile while hiding from a scandalous past and a tragedy she has never allowed herself to recover from. She does her darnedest to get this lazy critter off of her farm, which tends to make him all the more determined to hang around and take whatever new torture disguised as work she dishes out. She intrigues him as no other woman has and her obliviousness to his charms makes her all the more alluring.

The author writes with such emotional intensity I found myself either smiling or crying on nearly every page. She skillfully blends raucous wit with tender and heartbreakingly painful moments of emotion making If You Believe a powerful, not soon to be forgotten read. You won't find any fancy locales or wacky adventures in this book. What you will find is an honest down to earth book about two lonely people overcoming their fear of emotional intimacy and learning about the healing powers of love. What more could a reader ask for?

A full box of Kleenex read and a definite keeper!

[Seda · Rating 2 out of 5]

📚Deli Fişek onun kararlılığını yok ediyor, onu savunmasız bırakıyordu. Tanrı aşkına onu sinirlendiriyor, gülümsetiyor, ona kahkaha attırıyordu.
Mariah âdeta yaşadığını hissediyordu.
Bir erkeğe karşı bir şey hissetmeyeli uzun zaman olmuştu. Kalbini tümüyle vermiş, karşılığında çok az şey istemişti. Duygularıyla kendi kendini mahvetmişti.
Mariah yeniden yaşadığını hissetmek istemiyordu. Aralarında işçi-işveren ilişkisinden öte bir şey olsun istemiyordu. Çünkü ötesi canını yakacaktı. Çizmelerinin yıpranmış, delikli tabanları onun hakkında bilmesi gereken her şeyi söylüyordu zaten.

Eğer İnanırsan, erkek karakterin saçını başını yolmak istediğim, bildiğimi bilmediğim küfürleri içimden söküp alan, ‘bitse de hayata dönsem artık’ diyerek okurken canımdan bezdiğim bir kitap oldu benim için. Öncelikle belirtmek isterim ki karakterin huyunu sevmedim diye iki yıldız vermedim. Zira nefret ettiğim karakterlerin kitabına 5 yıldız vermişliğim var daha önce. Ama burada kitap beni boğdu.

Kitabın türü aslında historical ve 1894’te bir elma çiftliğinde geçiyordu. İlk bölümler çok güzel başladı. Deli Fişek ve Mariah’ın inatlaşmaları, Mariah’ın sürekli ters cevaplar vermesi ama bir yandan da inatlaşmanın altında bir koca kazan tutkunun kaynaması çok güzeldi. Hem Mariah’ya bayıldım hem de çok eğlendim bu bölümlerde.

Mariah karakter olarak çok etkiledi beni. Annesinin ve babasının kendileri için kurdukları, kızlarını içine almayı unuttukları, sevgi dolu dünyadan nasibini alamamıştı. Sevmeyi ve sevilmeyi öğrenememiş, birisinin ilgisine, sevgisine 16 yaşındayken de şimdi de hasret kalmış bir karakterdi. Hep kendini yalnız ve sevgisiz hissetmişti, yaptığı hatalara da bu yalnızlık sebep olmuştu. Bir yandan alamadığı sevgi için ona üzülürken bir yandan da görünenin altında daha derin acılar olduğunu fark ettim. Acılarının altında sadece sevilmeme ya da terk edilme yoktu, çok daha büyük bir acıyı yıllarca içinde saklamıştı. Bu yüzden de beyaz çitlerinin arkasına saklanarak, 18 yıl boyunca kendisini içine hapsettiği, güvenli bir dünya kurmuştu. Ta ki Deli Fişek dünyasını alt üst edene kadar. Mariah’nın, Jake’e olan duygusallığı, ona bakışı, yakınlaşmak istemeleri ama korkmaları çok naif ve şefkatliydi. (Hayır aşk üçgeni yok. Jake 16 yaşında bir çocuk.😃)

Herkesin içinde sakladığı, gözü gibi koruduğu, kimselere göstermediği yaraları vardı. Hepsinin pişmanlıkları ve keşkeleri, yaşamak isteyip yaşayamadıkları, hayatın bir şekilde ellerinden aldıkları, kaybettikleri sevdikleri vardı. Hayat hepsinin elinden sevdiklerini almış, yerine derin derin yaralar bırakmıştı.

Deli Fişek -bir ismi var ama kitabın sonunda öğreniyoruz, spoiler olmasın- denen yaratıktan hiç bahsetmek istemiyorum. Kendisi Mariah’ya her zaman dürüst olduğunu söyledi. Ama bu durum beni hiç tatmin etmedi, dürüstlüğü ya da en başından açık olması, beni hiç yumuşatamadı, karaktere hâlâ öfkeliyim. Bir insan yaptığı yanlışı kabul edince, yaptığı şey yanlış olmaktan çıkmaz. Sürekli ‘ben giderim, bak nasıl da açık açık söylüyorum bunu, ne kadar da dürüstüm’ dedi. İyi halt yiyorsun diye bağırmak istedim kendisine. Oysaki burada can alıcı eylem, doğruyu söylemek değildi, “GİTMEK” idi. Kalmanın tam zıttı GİTMEK. Yaptığı çok önemli bir şey değildi belki ama Mariah gibi birine bu yapılmazdı, haksızlık, insafsızlıktı.

Rass -ve Greta tabii ki- yaptığı ya da zamanında yapmadığı şeylerle beni deli etse de Rass’i sevdim. Kızı için son çırpınışları, bazı şeyleri geç de olsa fark etmesi çok hüzünlüydü. Çok geç fark ettiği gerçekler o kadar çok canını yakıyordu ki ona kızamadım. Bir baba olarak, kızının kendisini soktuğu hapis hayatı en çok onu üzüyordu, Mariah’ın her yarasından kendini sorumlu tutuyordu.

Duygusal açıdan karakterleri sevsem de bu kitabı sevmeme yetmedi. Yaraları, geçmişleri çok güzel düşünülmüş ama fazla boğucu yazılmıştı. Kitap, akıcılıktan o kadar uzaktı ki 300 sayfayı 3 günde okuyabildim. Yazarın diliyle sorunum vardı sanırım. Akıcılıktan uzak, sürekli çok yoğun duygu anlatan, aynı şeyleri farklı kelimelerle ifade eden bir anlatımı vardı bence. Karakterlerin, bir duygu durumunu, bir olay karşısında o an hissettiklerini, 4-5 sayfa hiç ara vermeden okuduğum yerler oldu.

Ve esas sorunum... Uzuuun uzun yazılan anlık hislere karşılık, yazar kitabın sonuna epilog yazmayı unutmuştu. Deli Fişek’in sinir krizi geçmeme sebep olduğu bölümden sonra, Mariah’nın onu affetmesi sadece İKİ SAYFA sürdü. Bütün epilog da bu 2 sayfaydı zaten. Uzun süre eksik basım mı acaba diye kitaba baktım durdum. Yani kitaba aşık olsaydım bile, sırf epilog bölümü hiç yoktan biraz fazla olduğu için yazardan nefret edebilirdim.

📚”Evet, ne istiyorsun?”
Deli Filek ona bir elma uzattı. “Bu kırmızı mı, yoksa kırmızımsı mı?”
Mariah elmayı deneyimli gözlerle inceledi. “Kırmızı.”
“Peki ya bu?”
O an Mariah durumu anladı ve gözlerini kıstı. “Bay Stone, benimle oyun mu oynuyorsunuz?”
Deli Fişek’in dudakları kıvrıldı. “Bayan Throckmorton, seninle oynadığım zaman eminim bunu anlarsın.”

📚“Dürüstlük. Ne alışılmadık bir yaklaşım.”
“Ben her zaman dürüstüm.”
Mariah homurdandı. Bu sözleri daha önce de duymuştu, üstelik şimdi tam karşısında duran adam gibi birinden. “Elbette. Her zaman doğruları mı söylersin? İnsanlara acı verse ya da senin hakkında kötü şeyler düşünseler bile mi?”
“Bazen gerçekler can yakar. Hayat böyle.”
“Bu seni tehlikeli bir adam yapıyor Bay Stone.”
Deli Fişek başını iki yana salladı. “Yalnızca benden bir şey bekliyorsan. Neyse ki kimse beklemiyor. Peki ya sen Bayan Throckmorton? Sen dürüst müsün?
Mariah tam yanıt verecekken vazgeçti. “Hayır,” dedi ve bu itiraf onu bile şaşırttı. “Sanırım değilim.”
“Mariah?”
“Efendim.”
“Gerçek bir yalancı ‘evet’ derdi.”

📚Neden kızının bu kadar içine kapanmasına izin vermişti ki? Dün gece Jake’in, bir yabancının gözlerine baktığında bile Rass acıyı görmüştü. Kendi öz çocuğunun gözlerindeki acıyı nasıl kaçırmıştı peki?
‘Özür dilerim Mariah. Seni seviyorum.’
O ve Greta bu sözleri tam anlamıyla duymayan, duymak istemeyen bir çocuk yaratmışlardı.
Bunu ona çocukluğunda da mı söylemeyi unutmuşlardı? O mutlu evlerinde tek başına kalıp onu hafife alan ebeveynlerinin sevgi sözcüklerini duymayı mı beklemişti?
Mariah’ya göre sevmek neydi? O hiç duymadığı kelimeleri yapayalnız, acı ve korku içinde bekleyip durmuş muydu?

📚Mariah, Deli Fişek’e döndü ve “Onun... canını yakmanı istemiyorum,” dedi.
Deli Fişek ciddileşti. “Yeterince hızlı olmazsa yumruğu yer. Bu kadar basit. Acı çekmek de hayatın bir parçasıdır Mariah. Aksi doğruymuş gibi davranmak aptallıktır. Bu çocuğun kendi başının çaresine bakmayı öğrenmesi gerek ama dersler can yakar. Bunu anlayabiliyor musun?”
“Anlıyorum,” dedi usulca ve gerçekten anlıyordu. Onun çok iyi anladığı bir şey varsa o da hayatın acı dolu bir ders olduğuydu.

📚”Şanslısın,” dedi Jake kısık sesle.
Deli Fişek ona döndü. “Neden?”
“En azından babanı tanıyorsun. Benim babam ben daha doğmadan annemi bırakıp gitmiş.”
“Benim babam da bizi bırakıp gitti.”
“Sen kendi çocuğunu bırakıp gider miydin?”
“İster inan ister inanma ama ben bunu çok düşündüm. Gençken çocuğum olsun istedim. İyi bir baba olabileceğimi düşünürdüm.” Başını iki yana sallayarak gülümsedi. “Sonra büyüdüm.”
“Ne demek istiyorsun?”
“İyi babalar yerinde durur Jake, bu kadar basit. Bense gidiyorum.”
“Nereden biliyorsun?”
Bu soru Deli Fişek’i şaşırtmıştı. “Ne demek istiyorsun?”
“Bir yerde kalmayı denedin mi hiç?”

📚”Canını yakmak istemedim Mariah.”
“Sanırım ben bir gezgin için uygun biri olamam.”
“Keşke sana ne söyleyebileceğimi bilseydim Mariah.”
“Ne söyleyeceğini biliyorsun. Ama söylemek istemiyorsun.”

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very predictable book. One trend I see in her books is also in this one - people are constantly changing their mind. Stay or go, love or not love. Book takes place in the 1890. The female lead was badly hurt emotionally as a teen, and she hides out at the family farm for almost 20 years. A drifter gets a job working on the farm. He never stays too long anywhere but comes to care for the lady of the farm. She falls for him and there are tome torrid love scenes. How can anyone leave someone after that, but they manage to. Did I like the characters? Her yes, him no. The young lad that showed up was a great kid.
Any way - happy ending

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mad Dog Stone is a fighter. When he goes to take a job at an Apple Farm, he turns young Mariah's world upside-down. Will he be able to stay long enough to change her life for the better or will he leave again? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good Kristin Hannah novel about love, family, and healing. If you like those types of stories, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books and ebooks are sold.

[Bsrtymz · Rating 3 out of 5]

İlk okuduğum Hannah kitaplarını aşırı seviyordum ama şimdi hep ortalama geliyor nedense 👀

[Meital Ben-Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful book by Kristin Hanna.
A love against all odds found in the most unlikely places.
I liked it and recommend it !!

[T. Rosado · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

This was a bit of a slog at times and took me way too long to read. Thankfully the author has improved her craft immensely since this early work. The dialogue and romance felt unnatural and the story's timeline felt off. Too much time on their hands for a farm during harvest with only four able bodies doing the work. I liked the story arc's potential, but as it is, it didn't work very well for me.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in under 24 hours - I could not put it down and needed to find out what happened! I am also loving the small little connections that KH makes between characters in different books - an precious student in another city, or seeing the same psychiatrist - I just love the threads of connection that she is weaving and excited to continue to uncover more!

[Gamruk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bayıldım kitaba. Okuduğum ilk Kristin Hannah kitabıydı. Hemen siteye koşup diger kitaplarını araştırdım.
Deli Fişek ve Mariah cok farklilardi ama aradıkları şey ortaktı. Sıcak bir yuva.
İşin içine tonton bir baba ve yaşından büyük olgunlukta bir velet girince zaten bende ipler kayış kopuyor. Zevkle okudum. Öneriyorum herkese:))

[HÜLYA · Rating 4 out of 5]

2018'in ilk kitabı...Yazarın okuduğum diğer kitaplarına nazaran daha değişik bir konusu vardı.Kis Bahçesinden sonra vasat geldi...
Ama yine de çok çok güzeldi..İkinci şans hikayelerine bayılırım...

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Come on, how do you get intimate whispering "Mad Dog"??? I liked the book but the name kept throwing me off, even in normal conversion.

[Begumtez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biraz zorlama bir kitap olmuş. Bir geçiş kitabı gibi. Yazar sanki “öylesine bir kitap yazayim bari” demiş gibi. Zaten kitabın sonunda teşekkür bölümünde sancılı bir kitap oldu benim için demiş. Ama ben bu yazarın kitaplarına düşük puan veremiyorum bir türlü.

[allyson dunn-worthy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kristin hannah Smut JUMPSCARE omg not at all what I expected from our women-centric historical fiction queen !!!!!! Crazy omg

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of LaVyrle Spencer's early works, If You Believe is a lovely and emotional historical romance from Kristin Hannah, perhaps better known now for her excellent contemporary novels (Firefly Lane, etc). She has always had a deft hand with creating realistic, likable and complex narratives, whatever the setting.
In 1890s Washington State, drifter/boxer/frustrated writer "Mad Dog" Stone hires on as a handyman to the Throckmorton household/orchard, comprised of a lonely widower and his agoraphobic daughter, Mariah. How their lives come together through the harvest season and how each of them confronts loss, love and the demons each carry with them makes for an absorbing and resonant tale.

[Min Li Li · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klasik Hannah kitaplarından farklıydı ve çok güzeldi.Keşke hep bu tarz yazsa.Her şeyiyle çokca sevdiğim bir kitap oldu.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can understand why this was a difficult story to tell. My husband & best friend died 5 years ago & I still can't cry. I can't describe the loneliness without him. But I think it helped to read this book, helps to have someone else's feelings about it put into words. There's no one I can talk to about how I feel. So I thank you for writing a story so full of feelings shared by many I'm sure. I read all of Kristen Hannah books I find. They are full of insights.

[Betul Pehlivanli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yazarın okuduğum ilk kitabıydı.Benim için çerezlik bir kitap olunca gün içinde başladığım gibi bitirdim.Öyle çok aman aman sevmedim ama anlatılan aşka imrenmedim desem yalan olur 😬

[Mohammed omran · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you haven't read Kristen Hannah's IF YOU BELIEVE you are missing out on one of the best character driven, emotionally wrenching stories the genre has to offer. Mad Dog Stone is a fighter who works odd jobs in between matches. He never stays in one place long enough to form any kind of emotional attachment and has broken many a heart along the way. His life is about to change when he answers an add for free room and board in exchange for a little work at the Throckmorton apple orchard. How hard can picking apples be after all?The last thing Mariah Throckmorton wants is change in her life, especially in the form of a big, shiftless male. She is living in a self imposed exile while hiding from a scandalous past and a tragedy she has never allowed herself to recover from. She does her darnedest to get this lazy critter off of her farm, which tends to make him all the more determined to hang around and take whatever new torture disguised as work she dishes out. She intrigues him as no other woman has and her obliviousness to his charms makes her all the more alluring.The author writes with such emotional intensity I found myself either smiling or crying on nearly every page. She skillfully blends raucous wit with tender and heartbreakingly painful moments of emotion making If You Believe a powerful, not soon to be forgotten read. You won't find any fancy locales or wacky adventures in this book. What you will find is an honest down to earth book about two lonely people overcoming their fear of emotional intimacy and learning about the healing powers of love. What more could a reader ask for?A full box of Kleenex read and a definite keeper!

[Noelle Marshall · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Too late Mariah,” he said in a voice so intimate, it sent shivers down her spine. “I’m already hotter than you want me to be.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a historical romance.

When Mad Dog answers Mariah’s father’s ad for extra help around the farm it begins to unravel Mariah’s hard fought peace of a life she has established. After the loss of her mother, Mariah and her father, Rass have struggled to move on and find joy. Mariah is a former version of herself holding tightly to keep control so the facade she has created will not fall apart. When Mad Dog arrives he starts to see the need that Mariah has and his desire to follow through and stay in one place is challenged for the first time ever. The desire between them slowly grows.

Working through Kristin Hannah’s backlist is fun. This was no Nightingale or The Women. It was an ok read. I mean the main love interest’s name is Mad Dog? Ha😂. Overall on ok read.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another one day read as I desperately try to catch up on my reading goal this year. Honestly, I skimmed this one and was not a huge fan, which was a bummer because I LOVE Kristin hannah! HOWEVER this was one of her earlier books and I think it’s really really cool to see how much she’s grown as an author over the years — i loooove her newer stuff! This one just didn’t hook me, it felt like a cowboy love story (but I also know some of my friends would love it, katie I’m looking @ you)

[Emily (emsalwaysreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE LAST BOOK ON MY PHYSICAL TBR and it was just ehh.

2.75 stars rounded up

What to expect in this book:

-Historical romance
-Horrible names
-Lackluster characters
-Open-door scenes
-Boxer/cowboy

Thoughts 💭

This is my 2oth? Kristin Hannah book and man, am I making my way back through this backlist with this 1993 release (literally the same age as me). I have found that her oldest six books are next to impossible to find and a kind friend graciously gave me this mass market paperback copy of her grandmother's that she found. Needless to say, I am wondering if Kristin Hannah is embarrassed by her earlier works. I do not say that because it was a bad book, let it be known that the main character's name is Mad Dog Stone. Enough said.

It took me until about halfway through the story to feel like there was any direction or plot. For the first 30% I deeply wanted to DNF this as it felt like how I imagined Rachel Green's romance story in Friends to be. However, despite the horrible names and lack of forward moving plot, there ended up being some better themes at the heart including found family, love, and self-discovery. I did have several questions that felt went unanswered, namely the fact the main female character never left her house. I guess this is a representation of agoraphobia to a degree.

This book drastically differs from her more recent stories that are filled with epic protagonists and beautiful, sweeping tales of courage and fidelity. She has definitely always been an amazing author, but it is evident how much not only her writing, but her character development and overall tone of voice has developed. Ultimately, I am glad I pushed through the awkward and uncomfortable parts of this book to finish it. And if anyone knows how I can access her earlier novels, let me know.

[Sharon Metcalf · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up to 3 stars

If I'm honest, I'd have to say I was disappointed by this book which simply didn't feel like it was written by Kristin Hannah. This was a historical novel in the style of many romance books I've read and unfortunately it felt formulaic to me. Whilst I still enjoyed the book, and never doubted I'd finish it, I was not drawn into the web of these characters the way I normally am by Kristin Hannah.

Mad Dog was the bad boy - a boxer, a drifter, a man with a penchant for whores and tequila. A man who never stays anywhere and who likes his life that way. Mariah is a 34 year old spinster living the life of a recluse with her elderly father on a remote farm. She was stern, uptight, practised at repressing her emotions and living her life largely without happiness. When Mad Dog and Mariah's paths cross, first impressions are that they couldn't be more different. There was a token attempt at making it appear that way but within a matter of days Mad Dog wasn't portrayed as much of a bad boy and the uptight Mariah was struggling to repress her passion. Don't get me wrong, I'm often satisfied with a sappy romance with a happily ever after ending, it's just that I wasn't expecting that book from Kristin Hannah.

[Luanne Oleas · Rating 5 out of 5]

You gotta be a born romantic to love this book. I am, so I had no problem with it. While some of the details don't jive, overall, this is a story about overcoming emotional stress.

Mariah is devastated by her past and resolves her issues by going back home and hiding from life. "Mad Dog" Stone runs as far as he can from home and avoids his issues by moving often enough that they can't catch up. How these two connect in Washington state in 1894 and what happens after they do, takes the reader on a relationship roller coaster. Add in an orphan and a dying father's last wish, and you have all the ingredients for a heart-wrenching story.

I did occasionally wonder how a women who never went to town had groceries or how a professor could run an apple farm, but those weren't details that kept me from believing the interplay between a women and a man who both denied they were lonely. Or how their past mistakes could come back to haunt them. For one, it makes falling in love a solution. For the other, falling in love is the "heart" of the problem.

Visit the old west and enjoy this story.

[Elif · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kristin hannah sevdiğim bir yazar ve kitaplarına baktığımda 2 farklı tarzı olduğunu görüyorum. İlki Bülbül gibi daha çok duygu veren ve kurgusu, yazımı daha iyi olan kitapları; ikinci tarzı ise Eğer İnanırsan gibi daha çerezlik, yapısı pek sağlam olmayan ve duyguyu da fazla hissettiremeyen kitapları. Ancak ne yazarsa yazsın bir çırpıda okunuyor ve bir şekilde karakterlere ya da olaya bağlandığınızı hissediyorsunuz. Bu kitabında karakterlerin kişilikleri biraz zorlama geldi özellikle de delifişek gerçekmiş gibi hissettirmedi. Ancak kitabı oldukça hızlı bitirdim ve ne zaman elimden bıraksam okumaya geri dönmek istedim. Hoştu, mükemmel değildi ama okurken yer yer keyif aldım.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way too much bad language and way too many spicy details!! At least it had one redeeming quality: the theme of home and family.

[Jennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a romantic novel set in the late 1800s. A professor whose wife passed away several months ago lives there with his only daughter who is a very sad person. There was a scandal in her life when she was 16 years old and she has never gotten over it. The professor knows he does not have long to live so he posts an ad asking for help on his farm. A man who is a wrestler answers the ad and he is known as Mad Dog. He takes a special interest in Mariah and they have a relationship that goes beyond friendship. There is also another person who shows up on the farm, and he is a young boy of 15. Jake is very sad also because his mother has died and he has never met his father. Have the tissues ready because this is certainly a tearjerker.

[Terri Jeffrey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected to read. I thought Hannah was a historical fiction writer, but this is a romance work with all the expected, rather cliche romance arcs. My bad...I should have read the blurbs more closely.

[Genevieve Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first half of the book was tough to get through - the plot was one-dimensional and a bit cliche, but the second half was a lot more interesting and the personal growth of all the characters was nice to see. overall, the story has a good message - to face your fears and embrace life and love

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a touching and beautiful story. I haven't read Kristin Hannah for so long. I've missed her writing style.